“Lord only knows what he will say” was the clever marketing spin the super folks at the Calgary Public Library Foundation put on the recent Bob Edwards Award Gala. Its signature fundraising event, in support of Building Readers For Life, saw (Lord) Conrad Black as the recipient of this year’s award.

A charitable foundation set up by the city’s public school board may have a lifeline after Calgary Board of Education trustees voted to hold off eliminating its $750,000 in annual funding until a special report is prepared on the implications.

Public sector pensions are chipping into the budgets of towns, school boards and hospitals across the province as contribution rates rise and plan administrators grapple with poor interest rates, a growing number of retirees and low investment yields triggered by the recession. Increasing contribution rates are also hitting the paycheques of tens of thousands of public sector workers in Alberta. And as pension plans come under review, there’s fear from some unions that future retirement benefits may be cut or employees forced to work longer.

Prime Minister Stephen Harper has appointed senator-in-waiting Doug Black to Alberta’s open Senate post. On Friday, Harper also named Denise Batters, Lynn Beyak, Victor Oh and David Wells to the upper chamber, effective immediate.

Lovers of art and aficionados of classic Canadian and British music gathered at the Hyatt on Nov. 28 to join host Jim Kinnear to celebrate creativity and innovation — all the while supporting the cornerstone meeting facility at The Banff Centre — the Kinnear Centre for Creativity and Innovation.

Speeding drivers and the cameras that catch them are delivering a forecast $4-million revenue surplus to Calgary Police this year — record-shattering fine proceeds that have attracted Mayor Naheed Nenshi’s eye, the Herald has learned.

University of Alberta political scientist Ian Urquhart is the first centre-left contestant in Alberta’s Senate nominee election. To date, those running are primarily Conservative and Wildrose candidates.

For the next 28 days, Albertans will have front-row seats to what is widely expected to be one of the most lively provincial election campaigns in decades. But while candidates jockey for the spotlight in individual ridings, another contest — the Alberta Senate nominee race — is struggling to get voters’ attention.

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